Chemical leak forces evacuations in Jessamine County

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (WKYT) - Multiple emergency crews were called to the scene of a chemical leak that forced some businesses and a dozen homes to be evacuated.

Crews say nitric acid leaked from the Aulick Chemical Solutions plant off Industry Parkway, just north of Nicholasville.

"I've never in my life seen about 30 fire trucks in the same area at the same time. I've never seen a response this large," said Bobby Wombles, owner of Wombles Transportation, whose business is located across the street from Aulick Chemicals.

"We've got 2,500 gallons of nitric acid inside the building. It developed a leak and the acid created a bigger leak, kept eating at the pipe," said Jessamine County Emergency Management Director.

Carpenter tells us the orange gas is a reaction of this leak, which was their main concern.

"It is contained in that barrier, but it's reacting with the concrete. That's causing the plume of the fumes that we are seeing coming out of the building," Carpenter told WKYT.

We're told the orange gas and vapor exiting the building is dissipating in the wind, but some traveled to a nearby neighborhood, Tuscany Valle, where 12 homes were evacuated as a precaution.

"It would create a smothering effect and could be deadly if you had enough of it," said Carpenter.

We are told Hazmat crews hope to vacuum out whatever is left from the leak.

As for the people evacuated from their homes, emergency officials hope they will be able to return early Tuesday morning.

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